BJP Gains In RS, Easier To Push Key Bills

In what could be the much-awaited gain for the ruling BJP in the Upper House of the Parliament, the BJP-led NDA has gained 8 Rajya Sabha seats in yesterday’s polling. Of the total 24 vacant seats, election was held for 19 seats across the 8 states.

BJP won 8 seats, Congress and YSRCP won 4 seats each and rest three were won by JMM and two other regional parties. BJP won 3 MPs elected unopposed in the last 2 days. Thus, BJP’s total gain is 11 MPs.

After Friday, BJP’s Rajya Sabha number has increased from 75 to 86 and thus NDA’s total tally now stood at 116, Congress-led UPA’s total tally is at 61 and others are 65. Though NDA is still short of the majority mark 123 in the house of 245 members, non-NDA parties like YSRCP (6 MPs) and other regional parties have pledged support to NDA in the Upper House.

While the BJP will now have Jyotiraditya Scindia with it, the Opposition side will have the veterans like H D Deve Gowda, Mallikarjun Kharge, Digvijaya Singh and Shibu Soren coming in.

BJP, which had been struggling to get its preferred Bills pass in Rajya Sabha since 2014, has got a big relief with the latest numbers in favour of the party. It would be easier for the ruling BJP to push through key and crucial bills it wanted.

While the bills like GST were taken with consensus with the Opposition, more numbers for BJP would make it easier for the party to implement key policy decisions of the government by pushing through the desired bills. With this, the balance of power has tilted towards the ruling NDA.